Insulating a Rabbit Hutch
Insulating you rabbit's hutch will help your rabbit stay warm throughout the cold winter weather. Insulation works by creating a barrier to trap heat so that the warmth from your rabbits stays trapped inside - like snuggling under a duvet.
If you are good at DIY you could build insulation into the walls and roof of the hutch by adding a layer of polystyrene and then covering over that with plywood to create a double wall - see insulating sheds for more information.
A quicker and cheaper way to insulate your hutch is to use a combination of newspaper, straw and cardboard. The cardboard will create a temporary second wall and the newspaper and straw will act as insulation.
Step 1: Card Board Box
Select a cardboard box slightly smaller than the inside of the hutch bed area. There should be approximately a 2" gap between the outside of the box and the inside walls of the hutch. You may have to trim the box to get it to fit.
Either turn the box so the open side faces the entrance to the bed area, or cut a door so your rabbit can get in.
Step 2: Add insulation
Fill the gap between the wall of the box and the outside of the hutch with straw or newspaper, or a combination of the two. I recommend straw, rather than hay, as the thicker stalks trap more air making it a better insulator, straw is fine for a rabbit to eat too.
Don't forget to fill the gap between the top of the box and the roof as well as the sides. You'll add need to add bedding inside the box too, a mix or hay and straw is good for this, but you can use whatever bedding your rabbit prefers.
These materials are safe for your rabbit to chew and they probably will, so you will need to replace the box and insulation as it is chewed or become soiled.
